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CV Summary Professor Lynn Chenoweth

(RN, D Com Hlth, BA, MA (Hons), GC Tch/Lrn, M Ad Ed, PhD)

I am a researcher, health clinician and educator. I have been researching aged care, health and aged care policy, and contributing to aged care nursing education and practice, since 1987. I am currently Professor of Nursing, Centre for Healthy Brain and Ageing, UNSW (2012-17). Previous positions include Professor of Aged & Extended Care Nursing, University of Technology Sydney (2000-15), Director of the Health and Aged Care Research Unit, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (2000-14), Leader of the Dementia Nursing Group, Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, UNSW (2004-16) and member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems, UTS (2009-2016).

My interest in researching the effects of the psychosocial environment on population health began in 1982 and continued until I commenced Doctoral Studies in Social Policy in 1987. This was the period in which Governments were seeking to reform aged care in Australia and in many other developed nations. I began the process of uncovering the experiences of older people living in nursing homes and hostels when I was commissioned by the Commonwealth Government to explore the social needs of residents in government, non-government and charity extended care facilities within NSW. These findings provided the foundation for developing mandatory policy in the areas of recreation and leisure opportunities and residents’ rights to privacy and social experiences in nursing homes and hostels. I went on to critically evaluate all of the Residential Aged Care Outcome Standards and their impact on the lives of older people in my Doctoral studies. Since that time I have conducted research in the areas of neurological conditions including dementia, Parkinson’s disease and stroke, as well as frailty and healthy ageing, and health and aged care systems.

In my position as Clinical Chair in Aged and Extended Care Nursing with South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service (2000-14) I led a multidisciplinary research program to improve health and social support systems for older people and those who care for them. This program of research continues in my present position with the Centre for Healthy Ageing at the UNSW, guided by primary health care, which promotes the view that health and community support services should strive to enable social participation, self-determination, well-being and health of older people and their family networks, in whatever circumstances they are placed. The research program has connected scholarly research with communities of practice, in the strong conviction that applied research should have utility and relevance to public policy and be of benefit to society.

Being inter-disciplinary, this research program engages communities of research scientists, clinicians, policy makers, health economists and consumers, providing a legacy of quality research that has shaped health and aged care policy, changed practice and improved consumer outcomes. The body of evidence produced by the collaborative research teams on the effectiveness of person-centred aged and dementia care has led to policy reform and service standards in Australia and internationally. It has helped to reshape health and aged care systems that better meet the needs of older people and their families, has improved outcomes and healthy ageing in life transitions, and has provided guidance on best-practice models for people with dementia and other chronic illnesses. International research teams are currently replicating a small number of the successful projects in their own cultures in close consultation.

Recognition of the research program’s contribution to health and aged care service reform has resulted in frequent invitations to give keynote papers at international conferences, to provide seminars, lectures and workshops to a wide range of consumer groups, and to advise on Aged Care TV Channel productions. I am frequently invited to join key national and international dementia/ageing committees; to contribute to special edition journal articles; to consult on legal matters and health system reforms; and requested to provide health/aged care staff research mentorship and research student supervision. A summary of this output follows:

Research Support: Since my appointment to a research position in 2000I have provided leadership on over 60 competitively funded research studies in aged, dementia and chronic health care worth over $5M, have been CIB or CIC on several funded studies over $4M, and am current CIC for NIH-UK studies over $5M. I was awarded 1st prize for the UTS-Research Excellence in Research Partnership 2010; 1st prize 2012 Alzheimer’s Disease International- Fondation Mederic Alzheimer award for best psychosocial dementia intervention project for the PerCEN study (CIA); was a team member of the SMILE study - Alzheimer award most innovative psychosocial dementia intervention project 2012, and was awarded the UNSW Gold Star for research- iHome Project 2013 NHMRC (CIA).

International Standing: I frequently consult for health/aged care services across Australia, UK and Asia on implementing and evaluating best practice models, give keynote addresses at international conferences, provide health/aged care staff seminars and workshops, and hold Adjunct Professorships at Macau School of Nursing, China, and at Notre Dame University.

Chenoweth, L., Kable, A., Pond, D. (2015) Research in hospital discharge procedures addresses gaps in care continuity in the community, but leaves gaping holes for people with dementia – a review of the Literature. Australasian Journal on Ageing. 34(1):9-14.

Gallagher, R., Fry, M., Chenoweth, L., Stein-Parbury, J. 2014 Expectations and experiences of older people and their carers in relation to emergency department arrival and care: a qualitative study in Australia. Nursing and Health Sciences, 16(4):449-453.

Fleming, R., Goodenough, B., Low, L-F., Chenoweth, L., Brodaty, H. (2015) The relationship between the quality of the built environment and the quality of life of people with dementia in residential care. Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice. 14(4): 663-680. epub 5/5/14 DOI 10.1177/1471301214532460

Chenoweth, L., Jeon, Y-H. 2006. The search for reliable and valid measures of well-being, quality of life and quality care in dementia. Enriching the lives of people with dementia: The Hammond Care Group’s 6th Biennial International Dementia Conference.29-30 June, 2006, Sydney.

From 2000I was CIA for 60+ competitively funded (NHMRC, ARC) research studies in aged, dementia and chronic health care worth over $5M, was CIB or CIC on several funded studies over $4M (NHMRC, Alzheimer's Australia, Australian Government), and current CIC for NIH-UK studies over $5M (NIHS). I have also been awarded a number of industry research grants for smaller-scale studies, totalling more than $350,000.

Funder: Department of Health and Ageing, Dementia Collaborative Research

Centre $39,000

Awarded: December 2009 (18 months)

Improving the effectiveness of systems that detect falls and trauma at Home

CIs: Moulton, B, Lal, S, Chenoweth, L, Fry, M.

Funder: University of Technology Sydney $40,500

Awarded: June 2010 (18 months)

Evaluating the Impact of the Environment on the Physical Activity Levels of People with Dementia

CIs: Traynor, Chenoweth, Jeon, Fleming, Clemson

Funder: Department of Health and Ageing, Dementia Collaborative Research

Centre $30,000

Awarded: June 2010 (18 months)

Optimising the residential and community aged care workforce: the evidence- based development of clinical leadership in middle managers in aged care.

CIs: Jeon, Kendig, Simpson, Chenoweth et al.

Funder:ARC Linkage $ $419,943LP100200198

Awarded: July 2010 (2 years)

Examining the utility of the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) as a vehicle for improving staff skills and knowledge in care planning and management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)

CIs: Jeon, Chenoweth, Traynor

Funder: Department of Health and Ageing, Dementia Collaborative

Research Centre $30,000

Awarded: June 2009 (18 months)

Keeping Well in Chronic Illness: Chronic illness care for the older person in the Emergency Department

My expertise is in leading and facilitating interdisciplinary research, including randomised clinical controlled trials, mixed methods studies, action research and grounded theory studies. My research interests are founded on a primary health care model, as a way of engaging consumers in designing and actively participating in and evaluating research which is salient to them. The program of research focuses on three key issues: safe and effective health and aged care systems; healthy ageing in life transitions; and person-centred models of dementia and aged care.

Currently supervising:

PhD STUDENTS Lisa Wong. 'The Help seeking Behaviour of Chinese Carers of People Living with Dementia'. Janet Mitchell. 'Relationships in long term care with and around people with dementia'. Louise Heuzenroeder. 'Developing and Testing the Validity and Reliability of the Dignity in Care Questionnaire for Acute and Subacute Care Settings'. Carolyn Bourke. 'Improving care in end-stage dementia with the revised Residential Aged Care End of Life Care Pathway (RAC-EoLCP)'. Master Of Nursing student Jacqelene Cook. 'Essential nursing care when specialling the older patient in the general hospital setting'.

Fleming R; Goodenough B; Low LF; Chenoweth L; Brodaty H, 2016, 'The relationship between the quality of the built environment and the quality of life of people with dementia in residential care', Dementia, vol. 15, pp. 663 - 680, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1471301214532460

Sheriff JN; Chenoweth L, 2003, 'Challenges in conducting research to improve the health of people with Parkinson's disease and the well-being of their family carers', International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, vol. 26, pp. 201 - 205, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004356-200309000-00006